Lewes Coalition

Southdown Road

District valuer waived social housing obligation on grounds that development costs would be so high - land was formerly town rubbish dumb and needs decontamination as well as protecting from flooding. Advertised in June 2008 as phase 1 of a major new development by Quintus Developments to consist of open plan office suites and 64 parking spaces available for sale or to let in 2009, but no activity evident on site to date - watch this space. Issues - more floodplain development, do we need any more offices? No social housing.

Renewal application likely August 2010 - can we challenge at this stage?

Lewes House

Planning permission already granted - social housing being built, private units pending (59 units, 24 social housing i.e. 40%)

There are some genuine social housing units here - 40% for rent rather than shared ownership. However, it has been segregated from the private housing. The Walwers Lane social housing site is confined to a restricted wall bound area with no vehicular access or parking space, and will consist of densely packed 2 and 3 storey blocks and roofs (currently being built). They will create an alleyway with the adjoining Printworks, parts of which they will overshadow to an unacceptable level (see details on BRE Daylight and Sunlight report), and the building will impact the historic Walwers Lane and Church Twitten.

Malling Brooks

Planning permission granted in 2009 for erection of 7 light industrial units and car parking.
Issues - this is part of the natural flood plain. The Brooks is a wetland area which absorbs ground water and run off from The Downs. We query the plans for water management on the site and do not feel that development is justified here.

Harvey’s Yard - Pinwell Road

Previous planning proposal for this site drawn up by Rees Elliott in May 2008 included three new buildings including a four-and-a-half storey 16 metre tall office block which would look out over Station Street. Public consultation rejected ideas as over-development of the site. Elliott partners’ purchase of the site did not go through, and plans were not submitted for approval by the planning commitee. We understand that the site is still for sale and is likely to be developed in the future.

Wenban Smith

Recently purchase by Waitrose plans awaited. Strategic flood risk assessment identifies this location as “functional floodplain” so any development proposal will have to allow for flood water.

Timberyard Lane

Formally Chandlers Yard site owned by Medlock Build Ltd. pre credit crunch plans promised “mixed use scheme”. Site now identified on Strategic Flood Risk Assessment as functional floodplain, so any proposed development will have to include provision for flood water flow.

North Street Phoenix

Previous plans for intensive private housing, shops and cinema developed by Angel Properties (Charles Style) now abandoned as company in administration. Large site partly owned by Lewes District Council and Angel Properties administrators. Lewes Community Land Trust is hoping to compete to buy the site in order to manage it as a mixture of affordable housing and low-cost work space for local business Lewes Community Land Trust.
Part of area is on functional floodplain and so will have to be designed to accommodate flow of flood water (Strategic Flood Risk Assesment)

Old Police Station

This building will be redundant when The Police relocate to their new building on North Street. Planning application live -
Lewes
LW/10/0689
Lewes Police Station West Street
Planning Application - Change of use and conversion of Police Station to fourteen dwellings, car parking and landscaping for Sussex Police Authority

Canon O’Donnell

Building has been bought by a Hove development company (Ms E. Barrakat) who wish to demolish it in order to erect private flats the Victoria Society has named the building as third most at risk building in the UK. Planning applications for demolition of the building and new building are pending. Fabric of the building is deteriorating while discussion is ongoing.

Meridian Pub

Pub no longer commercially viable. New owners, Brighton based Creative Developments Ltd. have been given planning permission (26/05/2010) to knock the pub down and make way for five terraced town houses. Pub was built in the 1880’s for workers of Lewes Prison and has some historic flint walls as part of its structure. Key issues are debate about demolition, discussion about appropriate building style, housing density and parking pressure because they have no parking spaces. Many people object to the modern style proposed - pre-planning advice to developers from planning officers was that the design should, rather than could be modern, which influenced the design. The new houses will have a combined visual impact with the Canon O’Donnell site. Together they have a significant visual impact on the town’s western gateway.

Flint Barn Mountfield Road

Planning permission already granted for demolition to make way for another office block. Barn not listed therefore could not be protected despite objections from Town Council

Issues - unnecessary destruction of historic fabric of town/do we need more offices? Reapplication current.

Replacement Planning Permission - Demolition of existing barn, construction of B1 business development on 3 storeys (renewal of extant planning approval LW/06/1197) for Messrs IP & DA Hatley

The Avenue

16 & 18 The Avenue. Demolished properties to be replaced with much larger modern designs overlooking the paddock. Damage already done to trees. Site has been acquired by new owner with planning permission attached.

Clay Hill - The Nurseries Phase 2

Developer Blue Sonic given permission in Oct 09 to increase proposed number of units on same footprint from 28 to 40 homes. Issues - building on previously undeveloped floodplain soakaway ‘rabbit hutch development’. This land will flood - evacuation arrangements critical. 10 shared ownership properties included in the scheme “What we really need is rental properties and not shared ownership properties” Cllr Peter Gardiner.

Phase 1 The Nurseries already built (see image) - Issues - floodplain development, runoff from Downs and ground water